Letter to the Editor for March 8

Wednesday

Mar 7, 2018 at 6:00 AM

Important facts about disabilities acts

I’m writing in response to a letter published March 2 titled, “Those with disabilities marginalized enough,” by Laurel Smith from Medford. I’ve met with Laurel and her son to listen to her concerns about caring for loved ones with disabilities. My office has full use of the Gibson House in Evesham and that meeting took place on the first floor of the building, which is fully accessible. Whenever myself or my staff has a meeting with constituents who cannot use stairs, we meet on the ground floor. This has always been our policy and will continue to be.

I empathize with the author and know the challenges involved in caring for someone with disabilities. Our first daughter, Gracie, was in a wheelchair for most of her life. I remember what it’s like to carry a child up a flight of stairs in a wheelchair. I did that with Gracie for the entire 11 years we were blessed with her. Gracie changed my life, and as the author points out, because of her we’ve donated thousands of wheelchairs across the globe to those who can’t afford them. Our foundation has also sponsored camps and scholarships that directly benefit disabled people, with a special focus on those wounded in the service of our country.

Unfortunately, the author’s letter is missing some important facts. Title 3 of the Americans With Disabilities Act has been terribly abused by some unscrupulous trial lawyers who game the system and waste taxpayer money. I saw this firsthand when I was a local mayor. These dishonest lawyers find minor infractions in public buildings, restaurants and hotels and then file the same boilerplate lawsuit against dozens of towns and businesses. When the lawsuits are settled to avoid legal expenses, the lawyer pockets almost all of it and the disabled community gets nothing. What a colossal waste of taxpayer money that does nothing but line the pockets of a few lawyers. Every person who knows the facts should be against this abuse.

The ADA Education and Reform Act simply gives towns, restaurants and other businesses a 60-day period to actually fix an issue that has been brought to their attention, without wasting money to pay off lawyers. If they don’t fix it, then the lawsuit may proceed.

During my time in Washington, I have always fought for those with disabilities by calling on Congress to fully fund the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act, which covers special education funding. I am an engaged member of the Bipartisan Disabilities Caucus and the Congressional Task Force on Down Syndrome. I have also supported the following legislation, which directly helps those with disabilities: Guaranteed Health Coverage for Pre-Existing Conditions Act of 2017, RAISE Family Caregivers Act of 2015, ALS Disability Insurance Access Act of 2016, Ensuring Access to Quality Complex Rehabilitation Technology Act of 2015, and Disabled Veterans Tax Termination Act.

As always, I’d be happy to meet with the author and her son again about her concerns, right at my office, which is and will continue to be wheelchair- accessible.

U.S. Rep. Tom MacArthur

R-3rd of Toms River

You're either with us or against us

Moms like me demand common-sense gun control to ensure no more children are executed at school. In honor of 14-year-old Alyssa Alhadeff, I am asking what Rep. Tom MacArthur plans on doing to implement common-sense gun control to keep our children safe.

Will he support gun control laws, including banning assault rifles and high-capacity magazines? Will he support expanding mental health care services?

He is either with us or against us. If he is against us, he and the National Rifle Association are on their way out. I will do whatever I can to get MacArthur out of office and put someone in his seat who will put our children first.

Michele Olivieri, Moorestown

I can’t vote for MacArthur again

My mom always said you can tell a lot about a person by the company they keep. Congressman Tom MacArthur brought in Kellyanne Conway to help him raise money for re-election. Conway is banned from certain news shows because of her refusal to answer questions, and is known for the phrase “alternate facts.”

Do we need more of this circus? It is exhausting, humiliating and downright dangerous to continue down the path with this chaotic and dishonest GOP administration, and that includes MacArthur. We can no longer afford his votes in favor of the Concealed-Carry Reciprocity Act and his silence as President Donald Trump signs bills allowing the mentally ill to have greater access to guns.

Let’s also remember how MacArthur voted to increase our tax burden when he voted in favor of the GOP tax bill.

He wants us to think he’s a moderate, yet he doesn’t have any moderate positions. I voted for him in 2016. But he has become an extremist — a part of this embarrassing circus. I can’t vote for him again.

John Ulmer, Burlington Township

Government and media are the problem

The government and the media are the problem, not the Second Amendment, not the National Rifle Association. An ever increasingly intrusive, incompetent and corrupt government fails to report and act upon credible information about dangerous, troubled people that it often observes firsthand. Nineteen domestic violence calls to one household, and the police did nothing? Terroristic threats on social media? Not reporting violent crimes and incidents to the FBI NICS database, which should prevent dangerous people from buying firearms?

Movies portray unnecessary and unrealistic violence. Actors and the industry grow wealthy off this, yet are squeamish when in comes to responsible law-abiding citizens having guns. A clueless public watches these movies, being desensitized to the fake violence and acquiring what they think is fact about firearms.

All guns are dangerous, yet the AR-15 platform is singled out as being “more lethal” than others. In real life, the AR-15 cartridge is too underpowered for deer hunting and is banned as such in most places. In real life, being “outgunned” is relative and is not an excuse to give up or stay out of the fight.

The NRA teaches safe, responsible gun ownership. It is an important trainer for law enforcement. It does not support the rights of criminals and the deranged. If any of these senseless killers were NRA members, we would have seen the biggest headlines ever. We did not.

Enacting more laws only affects responsible law-abiding gun owners. Criminals and the deranged ignore existing laws; there is no reason to think they would obey new ones. Government promotes a false sense of security with more gun control. I have no doubt that one day the Second Amendment will be infringed away. When law-abiding people no longer have guns and the violence continues to happen, who will be the scapegoat?

Raymond McCarty

Tabernacle

Never miss a story

Choose the plan that's right for you.
Digital access or digital and print delivery.

Follow Us

Advertise

Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted.
Burlington County Times ~ 4284 U.S. Route 130, Willingboro, NJ 08046 ~ Privacy Policy ~ Terms Of Service